Tube Bundle Expansion Calculation

1) How to know the hole tolerance

i) Drawing
ii) TEMA

Tube size = OD measurement

e.g

Tube size 3/4" = 3/4" OD = 19.05 OD

Tube Spec
e.g

3/4" SP 2.03mm
Tube thickness =
Tube OD =
Tube ID =
Hole ID =
upper tolerance +
lower tolerance -

2.03
19.05
14.99
19.30
0.05
0.30

mm
mm
mm
mm
mm
mm

2) Metal to metal ID
= tube ID + [Hole ID - Tube OD]
=
15.24 mm
upper tolerance +
0.05 mm
lower tolerance 0.30 mm

3) Tube Expansion (tube expansion is defined in percentage of TUBE THICKNESS)

Best practice 5% to 10%
of tube thickness
Manufacturer 7% to 10%
which means,
Minimum 5% x 2t
Maximum 10% x 2t

=
=

0.20 mm
0.41 mm

4) Expended ID
= Metal to metal ID + 5% or 10%
Min 5%
(minus lower tolerance)

15.24 mm

0.20 mm

15.14

Max 10%
(add upper tolerance)

15.24 mm

0.41 mm

15.70

Thus, range of acceptable tube thickness after expended is from:

15.14 mm

to

15.70 mm

5) How long is the expande rod can be inserted during expansion process?
Ans

Maximum has to leave 3.00 mm from the tubesheet thickness

edge to be chamferred to avoid stress & tube leak

6) TEMA allowed 5% of the tube expansion to be out of spec?

Ans

YES.
1) Due to HEX is normally overdesign, which is 10-20% extra capacity
2) Difficult to control when the total number of tubes in the bundle is thousands

tion

mm

mm